Free online summer camp for young inventors launched

Young people can put their creativity and tech know-how to the test during the summer holidays with the launch of the free Longitude Explorer Digital Summer Camp at longitudeexplorer.challenges.org.

Following on from the success of the Longitude Explorer Prize which saw schools and youth groups across the country invent bright ideas to tackle the big challenges of our time, like climate change and healthier living, the digital summer camp allows more young people to get involved from home whilst social restrictions are still in place across the UK.

Aimed at young people aged 11-16, activities, video tutorials and quizzes are available for free, to help bright minds and young entrepreneurs invent a game-changing solution to tackle the challenges of our time. These challenges include pollution and climate change, an ageing population, living healthier lives or sustainable transport.

Young innovators are encouraged to share a drawing or sketch of an idea that uses technology to help people to live longer, live better, live together and live greener. All entrants will receive an e-certificate and are in with a chance of being featured in the Longitude Explorer Prize virtual gallery as well as winning one of two back-to-school goody bags. 

Maddy Kavanagh, Longitude Explorer Prize programme manager, Nesta Challenges said:

“All year, hundreds of young people have developed some extraordinary innovations to win the Longitude Explorer Prize. The free Digital Summer Camp gives even more young people the chance to put their creativity and tech skills to the test and design a game-changing innovation that will make a difference to our world”.

Young innovators taking part in the Digital Summer Camp who submit images and a description of their prototypes before 23:59 on 13 September 2020 will be entered into a draw to win one of the two goody bags.

The Longitude Explorer Prize from Nesta Challenges, in partnership with BEIS, supports young people to learn creatively about STEM (science, technology, engineering and maths) whilst honing important entrepreneurial life-skills that do not usually get taught in the classroom.

The £25,000 Longitude Explorer Prize 2020 was won in July by a team of teenage girls from Greenford, west London, who designed a smartwatch app to assist people with dementia. Runners up included a fleet of autonomous boats that scoop plastic from the ocean, a wearable headpiece to help visually impaired people navigate their community, a map app specifically designed for wheelchair users and a robot therapy dog for autistic people.